PACIFIC FLIGHT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 4 June 1928, Page 5

PACIFIC FLIGHT

THE SECOND STAGE.

PREPARATIONS BEING MADE. TO START ON SUNDAY MORNING. ' .'UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—BY ELECTRIC TELEGRA PH—COPYRIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN PRESS ASSOCIATION.) HONOLULU, Juno 2 Captain Ki ith announced ait 11 o’clock that he would 1 take ofF from Whee’er Field’ for Barking Sands. Kauai Island, at 3 _ o’clock this after--1 Morn, t.’ic-re beginning preparation s for the hop-off to Suva in accordance with his original schedule. The airmen were up early this morning, each immediately .beginning to check his particular detail for the approaching flight. The distance which the Southern Cross will have to cover between, here and Suva is 3180 mi'bs. To make it ■ the ’plane will have to carry 300 gallons more fuel than she carried between Oakland and 1 Wheeler Field. Lout. Harry Lyon was very’ indignant at the -suggestion that the ’plane lost its way during the last three hours of the flight. “No,” he said, ‘after being an inter-island navigator ter years i was not likely to lose my way.” Although plainly 'shewing the strain, o’ their exciting experience', the quartette of adventurers, on landing;.' did not indicate by their facial expressions that they were any more worn than any of the hundreds who awaited their arrival at Wheeler Field. The Southern Gross hopped off from Wheeler Field for Barking Sands at 4.30 p.m. She landed at 6 o’clock. Captain Ki*ngsto-rd-Smith says they will take off for Sava at dawn to-morrow morning., June 3. Whether or not Barking Sands is • mitable for taking off to-morrow morning is a question that lias been raised , many times during the past few days. It was never a question raised by Captain R ingsford-Smith. After a brief [ tour ho described it as “a better field than the one we had alt Oakland.” During the day a meticulous inspection of their ’plane convinced the fliers that the machine was ready to gO' to sea. Oa-pt. ■ Iving-sford-Smith said that for the' first 1000 miles"of his course Suvaward his altitude,-•wou'Jd not exceed' 500. feet. Wit h the motors set to render full efficiency at sea level, he believed he would be abld toi increase the mileage of the fuel burned by 10 per cent or more. Captain Kingsford-Smith ma.de three Lings, plain to liisi questioners immediately fo’lowing his arrival at the field After dusk to-night, when be said : ‘Suva is- our positive destination. We rill- take off with the break of dawn -tomorrow morning and 'bold straight on be course for Suva. If the trade winds 'avo ir iw, as they should, we will land ' Suva late on Monday afternoon with gas tanks almost dry. If* adverse rinds hound ns, we will land at Canton s and', off the Phoenix Group, set up our radio and inform the world of our .light and wait until we are rescued.” The Assistant-Secretary far War has ■ailed Capc-a-in Kingfriord-Smith-: “Conatalrjtions- to you and your associates. Happy landings until you reach Australia. ’ ’

F/JOND SPAN THE TESTING ONE

SIGNIFICANCE OF FLIGHT TO CANADA.

NEW YORK, June 2

The wife arrive 1 of the ‘‘Southern Cross” at- Honolulu is presented as. the most important news of the. day in the newspapers throughout the country'. All journals are recounting the journey in gioat headlines and! lengthy dispatches

giving details of it. Editorial comment expresses satisfaction at- the magnificent performance of the ’plane in sucoessfuFy completing the first leg of •he. flight and leitresseis the hearing cif '.-he second leg. he ‘-New York American’ ’ says: ‘‘lt •s the second-, span which challenges the origination. If the fliers make it sa-fe- -• it will prove a feat- in navigation of .vhieh, even Linbergh might feel, proud, the man power in this interesting ad.enture ils- only half American, but the motor s 100 per cent Am-ercan. It iinipir2kSj hop© of success for the premier nii- hazard of 1928.”

The “Toronto Globe” say®: “If they succeed in reaching Australia a new -in© of world communication will have neen opened up and one which to Canada will have a special .significance This Dominion looks forward to th,s time when an air route over the ftar-.tu-ng Pacific to the southern Gomjiionvveafth will become an acknowledged -mppl-ementary Alii Red route and the ..xt«?nsion of a rapid communication line netween Canada and the Mother Goun,ry. The success of the “Southern Gross” wi’.l bring tliat day nearer.”

THE SECOND HOP.

OFF TO SUVA

A START MADE.

Received 10.30 a.m. to-day. HONOLULU, June 3. The “Southern Cross” started for Suva at 5.20 o’clock this morning from Barking Sands. At 8.45 o’clock it radioed “all’s well.” At 9.31 the ’plane gave her position and stated that the speed was about 90 knots, with about a ten mile wind on their tail and that everything was going well.

A message from Barking Sands stated that twenty-four hours after taking off from there the Australians should have reached Phoenix Island. Should unfavourable winds throw them off such a schedule they l intend to make an emergency landing on Canton Island, one of Phoenix group. Captain Kingsford Smith said: “Let it be understood, however, that the landing on Canton Island is a last resort. It. wil not be attempted unless we see that we ca'nnot make our destination.”

At Suva-, Albert Park is being prepared for the fliers’ landing by the .removal of trees growing there. A 450 yards runway will be available, and, while short, Captain Kingsford Smith believes tlia-t they will be able to take off on the last 1700 miles hop to Australia.